The Ins and Outs: Safer sex is essential for one-night stands

If you are the type who likes a steamy semi-anonymous rendezvous, the electricity that takes over in a one night stand can be addicting. It’s a flurry of sexual tension, which can only lead to both parties getting caught up in doing things they’ve only ever seen in porn.

Sounds great in theory, but it’s a necessity to figure out if you’re the type of person who’s OK with a one night stand. There’s no shame in only having sex with the one you love.

Yet, there are those who keep love and lust separate and there’s nothing quite like letting loose with someone you just met and can’t take your eyes off of.

The most important thing is to take care of yourself. It’s too easy to get lost in the moment and that’s what can get you into trouble. If you’re going to play, get your head in the game.

First, make sure someone knows where you are at all times. Wandering away with a stranger is far less dangerous if your roommate, best friend or entourage know exactly where you are. Frequent check-ins are even better. Don’t make your friends paranoid!

Once the fun has begun, safety should remain priority number one. If someone’s got a dick (real or fake), use a condom. The second that thing is outside the pants, wrap it. It doesn’t even matter which orifice is its intended destination: Do not risk the spread of disease to anyone ever. For heterosexual pairings, eliminating the risk of pregnancy is an added bonus!

By the same token, dental dams and finger cots or gloves are also very important. Even during a one night stand, touching someone else’s genitalia is a big deal. The gender pairing is irrelevant; if part of one person is touching a private part of another person, there needs to be a protective barrier.

“I would say that would be the best thing if they don’t have a condom or aren’t on birth control,” Ochoa said.

It’ll either be a night to remember or a night to regret. But the safer you play, the less likely you are to walk away with consequences that will lead you straight to the health center the next morning.